The term "ratepayer" is officially extinct
The evolving meaning of customer engagement in the 21st century
When it comes to utility-customer relationships, there’s good news and bad news. According to a 2016 survey by JD Power, customer utility satisfaction increased 12 points from the previous year, but that number was still much lower in comparison to other industries, including the airline sector. These disparities don’t exist in a vacuum — they reflect a marked and sustained increase in customer expectations across all sectors that isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
According to ICF Senior Vice President Jeff Adams, “From service turn-on to service turn-off, you’re on an energy journey—which means utilities have a responsibility to engage and educate their customers.”
Ever-evolving communication channels, on-demand control options, and instant support options have made it more important than ever for utilities to develop a thorough understanding of what their customers need, the best way to deliver products and services, and market/regulatory changes that could impact them. Watch the video to learn more about how and why the customer has become so much more than yesterday's ratepayer.
